MLB All-Star didn’t want to play in San Francisco?
Jul 21, 2020; San Francisco, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers fans Ulises Lima and three year old child Yasiel Lima outside of Oracle Park before the game between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
The San Francisco Giants signed outfielder Jorge Soler to a 3-year, $42 million deal last week. Apparently he wasn’t their first choice to fulfill their big-bopper needs.
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reported on Friday that before the Giants signed Soler, they made an offer to J.D. Martinez. But Heyman says the word is Martinez “didn’t want to go there.”
Martinez remains unsigned, so it’s pretty interesting that he turned down the Giants. And if that’s because he didn’t want to play in San Francisco, then he wouldn’t be the first player to feel that way.
Giants legend Buster Posey said in December that in his efforts to help recruit free agents to the team, one common complaint he has heard is players and their families not wanting to live in San Francisco due to the crime and drugs. A current Giants pitcher recently said he has heard the same thing.
It’s unclear whether that was the same deterrent for Martinez, but it sounds like San Francisco was not an attractive landing spot for him.
Martinez is 36 but has not shown signs of slowing down. The designated hitter had 27 doubles, 33 home runs and an .893 OPS in 113 games for the Dodgers last season. He has been an All-Star for three straight years.
